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This needs to be written into the Shattered Dawn canon.

Everything you've been reading so far is canon enough for me. Keep up the good work Kit!

Captain Hoel sighed at the problem he faced and shook his head.  Repulse's maneuver had been mostly successful, avoiding the majority of the Combine's missile attack and taking mostly superficial damage.  To his surprise, though, the battleship continued to close with the enemy and in fact swung to present her broadside obviously spoiling for a fight.

And unexpectedly the Combine's two WarShips declined the encounter, instead altering their course for a faster intercept of the Titan Yards while their DropShip escorts continued on at the same course.  Repulse continued to close, altering her own course to keep interposed between the enemy and the vital yards.  Already she was nearing the maximum range of her energy weapons and the Dracs were launching their on board fighter compliment.

An undamaged Texas battleship would have a good chance to prevail in the encounter, leaving the Republic to handle the DropShips which were certainly capable of inflicting horrible damage but were unlikely to destroy Titan Shipyards alone.  Only Repulse wasn't undamaged and if the Hiei battleship or the Igarashii battlecruiser survived the status of the enemy DropShips ceased to matter.  Either of the two WarShips could destroy the shipyards completely with ease even if critically damaged.

There was only one decision that made sense.  “Tactical, re-plot our missile launch to intercept those DropShips.  Get it fast, I want every missile we have loaded to be headed to their targets within the half hour.”

“Captain, wiping those DropShips out isn't possible.  They could alter course to avoid the sort of concentrated attack that would be necessary to destroy them.”

“Then aim to inflict maximum damage regardless of how they attempt to dodge,” he ordered, glaring at the tactical display.  “We've got a full load of one hundred missiles on board.  Use them.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Helm, plot the fastest course to those enemy WarShips that will keep us away from their main guns.”



Captain Roberts secured his pressurized suit's gloves into place, flexing his fingers to ensure they fit properly.  He watched the two Combine ships launch their fighter compliment, wishing Repulse likewise had fighters to launch instead of the still empty, mangled fighter bays she currently carried.  Of course, that didn't mean there was nothing to be done.

“Lieutenant Briggs, see to it those fighters are introduced to our Barracuda missiles.  Use the last twenty Killer Whales on them as well.  I don't want to give any bombers a chance to make a run on us.”

Lt. Briggs nodded.  “Aye, sir.”

“Bring our PPC turrets onto the Hiei battleship, ignore the battlecruiser for now.  Target their heavy naval autocannon turrets.  I want as many of them silenced as possible.”

It wasn't long after he spoke that the first shots from the heavy NPPC's hurled their first ion bolts out at the Combine WarShip, followed shortly by the first wave of Barracuda missiles.  Enemy ECM coupled with the existing targeting problems threw off the shots, scoring only a single glancing hit along the dorsal side of the oncoming enemy battleship, but already the computers were compensating and swinging the turrets to line up for a second shot.

The missiles, however, fared much better.  At this short range there was little to dodge even for such nimble craft leaving much more up to the ability of the missiles to achieve a hard targeting lock.  While the Barracuda missiles didn't carry a very large warhead they made up for it with better sensors and maneuverability.  This made them not very useful against large, hardened targets like WarShips, however they were ideal for taking out small fighters.

“Captain, the enemy WarShips have started to close more rapidly,” the tactical officer called out.  “They're trying to close the range.”

He nodded and glanced over the flurry of updates registering on the tactical display, his eyes running over the list of disabled enemy fighters.  “Thank you, Tactical.  Helm, when they close to within 700 kilometers of us bring our bow toward them thirty degrees and hold a 1.5G burn.”

More good stuff!

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Are DCA Marines issued with Katana's?

The TRS Repulse threw out charged bolts from its heavy NPPC turrets at its maximum rate of fire, not willing to waste even a second of time while the Combine's ships were still unable to engage.  Every hit she could land on the Hiei battleship before the enemy could get their own guns in range would even the odds just a little more.

Hits slammed into the enemy battleship's bow and front sides, vaporizing whole armored plates as they stabbed into the hull.  Even as thick as the battleship's armor was it couldn't completely protect the mighty vessel from the punishment it was taking.  A navel autocannon turret took a direct hit, the barrels of the weapon melting under the intense heat to render it useless and several thrusters along the left side were mangled when a glancing blow melted the exhaust ports to fuse them shut.

It was the Igarashii battlecruiser that turned to present her broadside first, her lighter guns having longer range then the heavier ones carried by the battleship, but with the range gap targeting was still difficult for the Combine crew.  Unlike the Repulse which had access to the SLDF's classified firing algorithms which made bracketed firing feasible the Combine's sailors were forced to adjust fire the old fashion way.

Yet what the battlecruiser lacked in technology it made up for in volume of fire, able to bring no fewer than 6 turrets into play once her broadside was fully presented.  Gradually shells started to impact the Texas battleship, blasting jagged wounds into it even as she rolled to constantly present new armor to her foes.  And the Hiei battleship continued to come on, fighters sweeping out ahead of it in spite of the missiles that tore away at their numbers.

Then, just as the Combine got their heaviest guns into range the Repulse suddenly turned sharply toward the enemy battleship and closed at her maximum thrust.



The ship heaved as the Combine's battlecruiser scored another hit, then bucked a second time when another flight of missiles shot out seeking to kill more enemy fighters before they got any closer.  Captain Roberts tried his best to keep an eye on the two Combine WarShips and the rapidly approaching TRS Republic, doing his best to estimate the times and distances involved.

“Helm, continue to turn another thirty degrees, 2.5G's,” he called out.

“Helm, aye.”

“Lieutenant Briggs, once we get those laser batteries in range I want you to direct their fire until they burn out.  Try to drag them along the aft sections of the enemy hull.  Don't worry about sustainability, we need the maximum intensity you can get.”

“Yes, sir,” Lieutenant Briggs answered, then leaned in to whisper.  “Sir, I'm not certain we've inflicted enough damage upon the enemy battleship to close yet.  With another ten minutes we could--”

Capt. Roberts nodded slightly.  “You are right.  Ideally yes, but we don't have ten minutes, Lieutenant.  It will be brutal, but that is the way it has to be if we're going to save the shipyards.”

Lt. Briggs didn't seem convinced but nodded again.  “Aye, sir.  I'll make sure we put every ounce of power we can through the laser batteries.”

He almost didn't hear the answer as he glanced over the tactical display again, then opened his eyes in surprise at how sluggish the Combine's Hiei battleship was responding.  “What are they... we got their thrusters?”

The tactical officer grew quiet for a moment before speaking up.  “It looks that way sir.”

For a moment he bit his lip then nodded.  “Helm, bring us straight on with the Hiei battleship.”

There was a moment of silence and the other officers all stared at him.  “Sir?”

“Bring us on a course that will intersect with the battleship,” he said again.  “Here is what I want you to do...”

No problem, Kit. Family comes first. My best wishes for her speedy recovery.